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Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises are named for the doctor who invented the technique of isolating the pelvic-floor muscles, Dr. Arnold Kegel. Kegel used the strategy with a device he invented called a perineometer, which was designed to measure his patients' pelvic-floor strength. Kegel exercise is a very simple type of exercise, in which all you have to do is to contract and relax the muscles of your pelvic floor. Its aim is to fortify the muscle tone in the pelvic area by strengthening the muscles. Kegel exercise is so far one of the easiest exercise that doesn't require much activity and time.
The importance of exercising your pelvic muscles

The Importance of Exercising Your Pelvic Muscles

Common problems that most women encounter are urinary incontinence, bowel incontinence, cystocele, rectocele, pelvic prolapse, pelvic pain, unsatisfactory orgasm, lack of vaginal tightness and sexual dysfunction. These mainly happen because the muscle of the pelvic floor becomes weak.
Doing Kegel exercises on a daily basis lessens the symptoms of stress incontinence, strengthens the pelvic floor before and after childbirth, and can limit pelvic-floor weakness from aging. Other factors that can cause these muscles to weaken are childbirth, pregnancy, obesity, aging and abdominal surgeries such as cesarean section. To regain the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, an exercise termed as kegel should be done regularly. One of the breakthrough devices that has been proven to help women achieve the best out of a kegel exercise is the Kegelmaster. Kegelmaster aims to make kegel exercises more effective and easier to do. To find out more about the Kegelmaster go to Amazing Kegelmaster Page

A Kegel exercise, named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, consists of contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor (which some people now colloquially call the "Kegel muscles").

Kegel exerciser

A Kegel exerciser is a medical device designed to be used by women to exercise the pubococcygeus muscle (also called the PC muscle). There are three main types: barbells, springs, and rubber bulbs. The barbells (or vaginal barbell) can be used as a vaginal exerciser or as a vaginal dildo or sex toy. Made of smooth, polished solid stainless steel, it is cylindrical in shape, with a rounded bulge at each end. They typically weigh one pound (454g) and measure approximately 6¾ inches (17.1 cm) in length with a diameter of one inch (2.5 cm) at the widest part. Being made of stainless steel, vaginal barbells are nonporous and can be wiped clean with a cloth moistened with mild soap and water. Spring devices are made of plastic, with removable springs to allow progressive resistance. These allow pressing directly against resistance. An advantage of rubber bulb devices is that they provide visual feedback (via a gauge) of how much pressure you are applying.

Benefits for women

Factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, aging, being overweight, and abdominal surgery such as cesarean section, often result in the weakening of the pelvic muscles. This can be assessed by either digital examination of vaginal pressure or using a Kegel perineometer. Kegel exercises are useful in regaining pelvic floor muscle strength in such cases.

Urinary incontinence

The consequences of weakened pelvic floor muscles may include urinary or bowel incontinence, which may be helped by therapeutic strengthening of these muscles. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that "PFMT [Pelvic floor muscle training] be included in first-line conservative management programs for women with stress, urge, or mixed, urinary incontinence...The treatment effect might be greater in middle aged women (in their 40's and 50's) with stress urinary incontinence alone...".[4]

Pelvic prolapse

The exercises are also often used to help prevent prolapse of pelvic organs. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that "there is some encouragement from a feasibility study that pelvic floor muscle training, delivered by a physiotherapist to symptomatic women in an outpatient setting, may reduce severity of prolapse".[5]

Benefits for men

Though most commonly used by women, men can also use Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises are employed to strengthen the pubococcygeal muscle and other muscles of the pelvic diaphragm. Kegels can help men achieve stronger erections and gain greater control over ejaculation.[6] The objective of this may be similar to that of the exercise in women with weakened pelvic floor: to increase bladder and bowel control and sexual function.

Incontinence

Regarding postprostatectomy urinary incontinence, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by the Cochrane Collaboration found that "there may be some benefit of offering pelvic floor muscle training with biofeedback early in the postoperative period immediately following removal of the catheter as it may promote an earlier return to continence".[7]

Sexual function

Kegel workouts can provide men with stronger erections.[6] Research published in 2005 issue of BJU International, have shown that pelvic floor exercises could help restore erectile function in men with erectile disfunction.[8] There are said to be significant benefits for the problem of premature ejaculation from having more muscular control of the pelvis.[9] It is also possible that strengthening the pelvic floor may allow some men to achieve a form of orgasm without allowing ejaculation, and thereby perhaps reach multiple "climaxes" during sexual activity. [10] In men, this exercise lifts up the testicles, also strengthening the cremaster muscle, as well as the anal sphincter, as the anus is the main area contracted when a Kegel is done. This is because the pubococcygeus muscle begins around the anus and runs up to the urinary sphincter.